Mining machine



J. c. sPRoUl.

MINING MACHINE Jan. 2Q, 1953 Filed Feb. I?, 195o 2 SHEETS-SHEET l Jan.20, 1953 -J. c. sPRoUl. 2,626,140

A MINING MACHINE Filed Feb. 17, 195o 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2 lll IIL

MMM'

Attorneys Patented Jan. 20, 1953 `John GonnelSproul, l Glasgow,YSco'tla'ncl,as signor to:'Mavor'&` Coulson, Limit'efL-Glasgom- Scotlandt.

Application February 17, 1950SerialNo. 144,763' In, Great BritainNovemberlll; 19471 Thisinventi'on relates toemachines for mining coalorI othermineralr andvbelongingtoa previously proposed type havingla-wedge1ikecutter head adapted tov stripvoif lthernineral -in theadvance of the machine b-y splitting oif the mineral in-.the sameymanner as by alwedge orchiselalong aplane behind the mineraliface.Where, Aasis usually desirable, the machine isd'ouble-endedthat is tosay-is designed.- to Work in eachlof' its two\ directions oftravel-there are two suchcut-- ter heads.

In a.previously:proposed` construction, the ymachine has jackingmeansadaptedl to provide an anchorage orabutmentcfor propulsionapparatus incorporated in' the machine. The arrangement is. such.thatfirst' the jackingrmeans isi extended toanchor itself betweentheroof and the floor, next the propulsion. apparatus is. operated. toforce f the machine; forwards; so as to rmake aacutting stroke thereactionizoffwhi'cnisftaken bythe jackingmeans; nextv the-.jacking meansisl contracted1-to :free itself. from its place ofi anchorage, andfinally:v the.l propulsion yapparatus :is operated to pull the jackingmeans forwards alongythe floor for locaticniin aanewanchoragezinreadiness for; thef'nextv cutting stroke;

A disadvantagezyof; previously. proposed arrangementsis.thatztheijacking means iszrigidly attached tothe main body of." the.miningtma.- chine; so;v that; 'when-r the; jacking means?. is 4eX-tended. to anchorA itself; andithe" propulsion: apparatus is operated,the tendencyoftheahead toi ywork itself.: outwardly.A- from ther facef..as. the cutting stroke.- progresses,` imposes vheavy bending.stressestonithefpropulsionapparatus..

According to the present invention, aVY mining machiney of the type:stated comprises aframe withat; least. one ywedge-like cutter head tosplit 01T the mineralrfromthe face of a. seam, jacking meanstofprovidean anchorage during eachcutting stroke, andfpropulsion apparatusactinglongitudinally. between the jacking meansand the frame ,toadvancethemalternately, the jacking means being located on. the outer side ofthe propulsion apparatus.in-order-to-bring the centre of the jacking',pressure substantially outwards from the plane of the faceandin order toapply the cutter head at an effective angle-to said plane, andlthemachine frame being in pivotal relationship with thejacking meansinorder that. as each cutting stroke progresses the frame` willadjustitself angularly about the jacking means asaxis. By virtue'of'this arrangementLthe-cutn ting'force can be4V applied to the cutterheadtat. anzanglewhich isV greater.l than. hitherto, so much`so-that`thecutter headwill have no serious 2 tendencyftoLmovev outwards 'from-1the-f ace o-fl the mineral seam:

Preferably; thecutterhead (or cache-cutter head)-is associated withapad-arrangedf'eimmediately behind an active cutter on--sa-idhead andadapted' to slide-against-the-face'newlymcut by saidt cutterinthe-mineralseam.1 Provision is made vfor relative lateral adjustmentbetween the'cutter andi sucha-pad--in order tol regulate the-cuttingaction;

The' jacking meansr` may bemounted -in proximitylto the middle of'the-length-oftlieframe and maybe supported-by guides on the-frame,between which` guides` and= theJ jacking means relative lengthwiselmotion---occurs duringfr the operation of y'the` cylinder-and-ramAapparatus.

An xexample of a= double-ended coal-mining machine according to theinvention i's shown in the -accompanyingwdrawings inl which- Fig; 1 isanlelevationrof the'machine-andvFig. 2 is a=p1anI Fig. 3 isa sectional'yelevation ofa hydraulic jack and associated parts as' viewedlin'liggl;

Fig; 4is a=se'ctionalfplairofl themachine frame and.' the! propulsion`means; being a section approximately von the line' 4;-4 "off 'Figi 'lkyThe cutter. heads vare: indicated: :generally by I andi I :Ifrespectively. l Each of these fheads, yin the example. shown, comprisesa@ leading cutter I2 arranged at an intermediate level, two cutters I-3and Irabove' theircutter: |21,andaio'orlcutter assembly .I 5'; *I alloff them. .having-Y. cuttings edges Workingiin;approximately: thev samevertical.` plane A+A, Fig.' 2;..and1 theyperformthe main cuttingoperation 1 on the-coal.V The. Verticalfplane' cuttingedgeszfareindicatedby I2A,.; ISA,..I'Aa.and IBA; respectively. Each.fioon cutter assembly I5 has yalso got a horizontaliedge;IEB-thexassembly beingjnl thefnature. fofa zdeecting. Shox/elf for re'Nmoving coalV .from the-fioori anda-.for lifting and deiiecting-.thecoal? sidewise to ai conveyor- (not shown); Each cutter. headalsoincludes ahorizontaleedgedroof;.cutter assembly.; I6'.

Each head t carrying; these several f cutters; is a heavy structure jointed.v to =an f end'A wall Il or I 8 of the frame of the miningmachine,`

' Regarded generally, the. mining machinegcon sists of a heavybody-`which-comprises-.the aforesaid frame carrying the cutter headsj' I Il,Irl: and cylinder-and-ram components.' I Sandi@ 'forf'proe pellingtheVframe, in combination withV` roof-anclflooL-.engaging jacking;means-2I-,.; 22,. connected with .the componenti!! of thecylinder-,anderem apparatus to provide a temporarily fixed anchorage orabutment against which to apply the propulsion force. The propulsioncylinder I9 and the jacking means constitute an anchorage assembly.'I'he frame includes, in addition to the end walls I1 and I8, two heavyhorizontal bars 23 and 24 which rigidly interconnect said end walls. Thebar 23 is arranged at a low level and close to the inner side of themachine; that is, the side which comes close to the face of the coalseam, represented in Fig. 2 by the plane A--A. The bar 24 is arranged atan intermediate level and at the outer side of the machine. These bars23, 24 constitute guides upon which is slidably arranged a blocklikecarriage indicated generally by 25. This blocklike carriage incorporatesthe cylinder component I9 of the cylinder-and-ram propulsion apparatusand carries the cylinder component 2| of the jacking means; that is tosay, the carriage 25 carries the whole of the propulsion apparatus andjacking means.

The cutter heads I and II are equipped with soles IOA and I IArespectively which are slidable upon the mine oor and which assist theiloor cutter assemblies I5 to bear the entire weight of themachine.

In the example, the cylinder-and-ram propulsion apparatus is a singlehydraulic unit of which the cylinder I9 is double-acting, being arrangedin the carriage 25 longitudinally along the inner side of the machine.The ram 20 of the propulsion unit extends from both ends of the cylinderI9. The ram ends register with two buiers or abutments 26 on the endwalls I1, I8 of the frame. The ram is very slightly shorter than thedistance between the abutments 26, so that there is provision for slightrelative longitudinal movement between the ram and the frame. Thus, whenthe ram is forced longitudinally in either .directi-on relative to itscylinder I9 in the blocklike carriage 25, the ram and frame act like aunit which either advances relative to the temporarily stationarycarriage 25 `or rests stationary whilst the carriage advances. The factthat the ram 20 is structurally disconnected from the frame gives theimportant practical advantage that any distortion of the frame due tothe veryheavy work of the machine is not transmitted to the ram, whichis left free of bende ing and torsional strains to work in its cylinderand to be subjected to purely longitudinal compression due to thrust inboth directions on the frame.

With Ireference to the jacking means 2|, 22, in the example this is ahydraulic jack, which is arranged vertically in the carriage 25 at thecuter side of the machine. The jack is mounted in a casing or holder 21incorporated in the structure of the carriage 25. The jack cylinder 2|is vertically slidable in the casing 21 and is formed with apart-spherical enlargement 2 IA about the centre Iof which the jack istiltable in relation to the casing. The cylinder 2| and the piston ofthe piston-operated component 22 are doubleacting. The jack cylinder 2|has a heavy foot or base 28 adapted to engage the mine floor when thejack is extended and which presses upwards against pads 29 on theunderside,` of the casing 21 'when the jack is fully contracted. Thepiston-operated component 22 has a head 30 adapted to engage the mineroof when the jack is fully extended and which rests upon facings 3| onthe casing 21 when the jack is contracted. Then the facings 3| bear theweight of the jack. The head 30 is connected to the component 22 byuniversal joint 32, so that the head isireely chine, any appropriatehydraulic pumping plant is provided, such plant in the example beingcarried by the carriage 25. The plant comprises an electromotor-drivenpump 33, a tank 34 from which the pump draws the hydraulic liquid(namely oil) a manually operated control valve 35 for directing thehydraulic liquid to and from the appropriate ends of the cylinders I9and 2| and appropriate piping 3B (Fig. 2). As Fig. l shows, the pipingincludes two flexible pipes 31, 38 communicating with opposite ends ofthe jack cylinder 2|. The hydraulic plant, being of any conventionaldesign, is shown more or less diagrammatically.

The leading cutter I2 of each 4of the cutter heads II) and II isassociated with a pad 39, the face of the pad occupying the cuttingplane A-A; that is to say, the pad is arranged to slide against thenewly cut coal face during each cutting stroke of the head I 0 or |Icarrying it. Moreover, each leading cutter itself is angularlyadjustable laterally so that its setting relative to the associated pad39 can be adjusted to regulate the cutting action. As shown in Figs. land 5, the cutter I2 is attached by a vertical pivot pin 40 to an arm 4|projecting forwards from the head I0 (or II). Two adjustable grub screws42 extending through the cutter come against a facing 43 on the arm 4|and thus fix the angular setting lof the cutter. A swing bolt 44anchored to the arm 4I passes through the cutter and serves to hold thescrews 42 hard against the facing 43.

The operation yof the machine is as follows: Assume that the machine asviewed in the drawings is to work towards the right; that is to say, thehead |I ihas to lead and act on the coal face whereas the head I0 has totrail idly. Assume also that the carriage 25 and jack 2|, 22 arepositioned as shown and that the hydraulic plant is in operation.

The rst action of the machine is to thrust the head II forward toperform its cutting stroke. Accordingly, the control valve ismanipulated so that the jack 2|, 22 is extended. Thus, the jack cylinder2| is forced'downwards until its foot 28 engages the iloor, after whichtheV piston-operated component 22 rises until its head 30 engages theroof, so that the jack finally anchors itself and the carriage 25between roof and floor. Next, the control valve 35 is operated so thatthe ram 20 of the propulsion unit is forced towards the right; that is,the propulsion unit is operated to push forwards the frame I1, I8, 23,24. Thus a cutting stroke is performed by the head II, the frame slidingupon the mine oor past the anchored jack and carriage. Next, the controlvalve 35 is operated so that the jack is operated to lower its head fromthe roof and lift its foot clear of the floor. The entire carriage 25and everything carried by it are now supportedby the frame clear abovethe mine floor. Finally, the control valve 35 is operated so that the.propulsion unit acts in theopposite direction so that its ram 2livthrusts towards the left. .'Ihisfaction causes 'the propulsion cylinderI9 with vthe carriage 25 and jack v2I, 22 to slide forwards, free fromobstruction by the floor or roof, along the frame guides 23, '2li inreadiness for anchorage again.

When each cutting stroke is performed by the machine, the force of thestroke is directedv ina plane from ythe central axis B-of the jack tothe approximate place of application to the coal of they main cutteredges I2-A, I3A, I4A and ISA of the active head Il. In Fig. 2 theAapproximate plane of application is indicated by the arrow C, which isdirected at an angle to the cutting lplane A'--A. Throughout theVcutting stroke, not only does the frame Il, I8, 23, 24 continue to`slide past the anchored jack 2|, 22` but as the stroke progresses theangularity'of the liner of application C with the cutting plane A-Adecreases slightly by virtue of the pivotal relationship of the frame tothe jack. By virtue of the universal mounting at 2 IA of the jackingmeans, the frame -is free to follow undulations on the mine floor.

Thus it will be seen that, in the coal-mining machine described, thevertical roof-and-oor jack 2|, 22 is outwardlyV offset from andpivotally related to the longitudinal propulsion cylinderand-ram unit kI9, 2c so that the inwardly inclined thrust from the ram towards the coalface produces an inward cutting iniiuence on the leading cutter head II,which influence is restricted by the pressure pad 39 on the cutter head.

As Fig. 2 shows, the centre of thev total jacking pressure representedby the cross B is substantially odset outwards from the line of actionof thepropulsion ram 20, so much so that the approximate line of thrustrepresented by the arrow C is at an angle to the cutting plane A-Areasonably great enough to obviate or substantially reduce any tendencyof the cutter head to work itself outwards from the face.

Moreover, the freedom ofthe frame to pivot about the anchorage at Bobviates or minimises bendingstresses in the frame but as alreadyexplained, any such bending or other stresses to which the frame may besubject are not communicated to the propulsion apparatus I9, 2l).

Patent application No. 144,745 having the same date as the presentapplication describes and shows a mining machine the same as that hereindescribed and shown in the accompanying drawings but claims an inventiondiierent from that hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

l. A machine for mining coal or other mineral and of the type statedcomprising a frame, a cutter head carried by said frame to split offmineral in a cutting plane from a mine seam, propulsion apparatussupported by said frame for movement along the frame, said cutter headbeing structurally related to said propulsion apparatus so that saidcutting plane is at the inner side of said apparatus, extensible andcontractible roof-and-iioor engageable jacking means including avertical axis cylindrical component which is carried by said apparatusand which is offset to the outer side of the propulsion apparatus, saidjacking means providing an anchorage against which said apparatus canapply to the frame propulsive and cutting force, and a pivotalconnection between the cylindrical component and the propulsionapparatus such that as the cutting stroke progresses the frame canadjustI itself angularly by pivoting about the axis of said cylindricalcomponent.

42A-:machine :accordingto claim. 1 including also a: cutteronzthecutterhead anda had' 1I- rangedimmediately to theprear of said mittew t0slide in the cuttingv plane against a Aface newly cut by said cutter.

3. A machine accordingA to claim 2 including also :means Afor effectingrelativeA lateral-angular adjustment between said cutter and said `padin vorder to regulate the cutting action.

4. A .machine-according tol claim 1in which the said jacking. means; isan extensible'fandjcontractible cylinder-and-piston unit andin which themachine-includes a vsupport incorporated-,in said propulsionapparatus,-y and wherein. :said Divotal connection -isl between -saidcylindrical: @Qmponent and said support, said-unit'beifng Verticallyslidable in said support.

'5. vA machine according to claim 4in which said cylinder-and-pistonunitVv includes lone C9111- ponent having av roof-engageable, headadapted to rest uponk said support, whichl thus bears `the weight of thejacking means when the'unt Vis contracted.

6. A machine according to claim 5 in' which the other component of saidunit. hasv a;f10,011 engageable foot which comes,- against said supportwhen the unit'is,` fully contracted.

7. A machine according to claim 45 infwhich the cylinder-and-piston unitis mounted in said support not only so as to vbe pivotable andvslillable but also so as. to be tiltable to the vertical axis of saidunit.

8. A machine for mining-coal or otherI mineral and of the type statedcomprising a Hama-acutterhead carried byzsaidtframe tosplit'oi mineralin a cutting plane from a mine seam, a carriage which is supported bysaid frame for movement along the frame, extensible andcontractible-roofand-floor engageable rjacking means carried f by saidcarriage to; provide a temporarilyfixed anchorage against-which' toapplymachine propulsion force, said jacking means having an approximatelyvertical axis, propulsion-apparatus also carried by said carriage, saidapparatushaving an approximately horizontallongitudinal axis and' actinglongitudinally -throughnsaid frame while the carriage is anchored toapply a cutting stroke to said cutter head, said cutter head, carriage,jacking means and propulsion apparatus being structurally related sothat the propulsion apparatus is located at the inner side of thecarriage with its said longitudinal axis close to said cutting plane andthe jacking means is located at the outer side of the carriage with itssaid vertical axis spaced outwards to a substantial extent from saidlongitudinal axis in order that the cutting stroke will be applied at aneffective angle to said plane, and a pivotal connection between thejacking means and the carriage such that as the cutting strokeprogresses the frame can adjust itself angularly by pivoting about saidvertical axis.

9. A machine for mining coal or other mineral and of the type statedcomprising a frame, a cutter head carried by said frame to split offmineral in a cutting plane from a mine seam, a carriage which issupported by said frame for movement along the frame, extensible andcontractible roof-and-ioor engageable jacking means also carried by saidcarriage to provide a temporarily fixed anchorage against which to applymachine propulsion force, said jacking means having an approximatelyvertical axis, a propulsion power cylinder carried by said carriage, aram movable through said cylinder and extending therefromin oppositelongitudinal directions to act through the frame while the carriage isanchored to apply a cutting stroke to said cutter head, said jackingmeans being located on the outer side, with respect to said plane, ofthe ram in order that the cutting stroke will be applied at an effectiveangle to said plane, and a pivotal connection between the jacking meansand the carriage such that as the cutting stroke progresses the framecan adjustl itself angularly by pivoting about the axis of the jackingmeans.

10. Amachine according to claim 9 including alsoa cutter on the cutterhead and a pad arranged immediately to the rear of said cutter to slidein the cutting plane against a face newly cut by said cutter.

11. A machine according to claim l0 including also means for effectingrelative lateral angular adjustment between said cutter and said pad inorder to regulate the cutting action.

12. A machine according to claim 9 in which the said jacking means is anextensible and contractible cylinder-and-piston unit and 'in which themachine includes a support incorporated in said carriage, and whereinsaid pivotal connecs.

tion is between said cylinder-and-piston unit and said support, saidunit being vertically slidable in said support.

V13. A machine according to `claim 12 in which the cylinder-and-pistonunit includes one component having a roof-engageable head adapted torest upon said support, which thus bears the weight of the jacking meanswhen the unit is contracted.

14. A machine according to claim 13 in which the other component of saidunit has a iioorengageable foot which comes against said support whenthe unit is fully contracted.

15. A machine according to claim 12 in which the cylinder-and-pistonunit is mounted in said support not only so as to be pivotal andslidable but also so as to be tiltable to the vertical axis of saidunit. Y

16. A machine for mining coal or other mineral and of the type statedcomprising a frame which 'supports itself at opposite ends on a mineoor,

a cutter head incorporated in an end of said frame to split oi mineralin a cutting plane from a mine seam, cylinder-and-ram propulsionapparatus having a horizontal longitudinal axis, a carriage whichcarries said apparatus and which is supported clear of the mine floor bysaid frame for longitudinal movement along the frame between the endsthereof, extensible and contractible roof-and-floor engageablevertical-axis jacking means also carried by said carriage to provide atemporarily xed anchorage against which said apparatus can apply` acutting stroke to said cutter head, said cutter head, carriage, jackingmeans and propulsion apparatus being structurally related so that thepropulsion apparatus is located at the inner side of the carriage withits said longitudinal axis close to said cutting plane and the jackingmeans is located at the outer side of the carriage with its saidvertical axis spaced outwards to a substantial extent from saidlongitudinal axis. in order that the cutting stroke will be applied atan effective angle to said plane, and a pivotal connection between thejacking means and the carriage such that as the cutting strokeprogresses the frame can adjust itself angularly by pivoting about theaxis of the jacking means.

17. A machine according to claim 16 in which the vertical-axis jackingmeans is an extensible and contractible cylinder-and-piston unit and inwhich the machine includes a support incorporated in the carriage, andwherein said pivotal connection is between said cylinder-andpiston unitand said support, said unit being vertically slidable in said support.

JOHN CONNEL SPROUL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Y Date 1,704,866 Morgan Mar. 12, 19291,761,060 Van Slyke June 3, 1930 2,420,755 Mavor May 20, 1947

